Handle for lifting-jacks.



Patented Dec. 16 1919.

LEWIsnOPcRAF or nonnomnnemnn.

HANDLE roa Lrr'rme-ucxs.

'To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, Lnwrs HoroRAr'r, a

subject of the King of England, and resident of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Handles for Lifting-Jacks, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to handles for lifting jacks more especially to handles for jacks employed with motor road vehicles and of the type in which thelifting member is actuated by the rotation of a toothed wheel worm or the like :and has for its object to,

facilitate this operation. 0 In jacks of this type the rotation WhlCh efiects the lifting is performed by means of a detachable handle having a stem or shaft 7 of such a length as to permit of the jack being operated when it is positioned beneath a car but if this stem is straight and its connection with the jack is rigid as is usualit is not always easy to arrangethe jack so that the stem will clear ad acent parts of ation of the jack but it is then diflicult to engage the movable end of the stem with the jack when the latter is beneath a car and also practically impossible to place the jack in position under the car by means of These disadvantages are overthe handle. come bv' the present improvement.

According to this invention a coiled spring is disposed around a universal or other suitable joint which is mounted or formed at or toward that end of the stem of the operating handle which engages the rotatable member of the jack. The handle can then be bent or placed in the position most convenient for turning it and operating the jack while the spring gives such support for the end of the stem beyond the joint that this end can be readily engaged with the rotatable member of the jack and the position of the latter can be shifted by means of the handle.

The spring encirclesthe parts of the joint which are disposed between two members the end of one of which is formed as the end of the stem is usually formed, that is to say either as a socket or as a squared projection which is adapted to engage a cor- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 16,1919.

Application filed June 21-, 1919'. Serial .No. 305,886, I

responding part of the rotatable member of the jack. The member at the other side of the joint is mounted in some suitable manner on the end of the main part of the stem.

of the handle, as for instance by formingthis member as a socket into which fits the squaredend of the stem which is there retainedby a set screw. The ends of the coiled spring engage the members on either side of the-joint so that the tendency of thespring is to maintain these two parts in llne and support is thus given to the end v member when it is desired to engage it with the ack. At the same time the handle is Figure 1 is an elevation of the complete improved operating handle for a lifting ack. the car and allow the handle to project and Fig. 2 is an elevation on an enlarged scale of the joint and of one form of member for connection with the rotatable part of the jack, the spring which encircles the joint being shown in section for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 3 is a similar view but taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. 2 and illustrating a socketed connection for the rotatable member of the jack..the spring and socketed end being shown in section.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

The stem A of the handle is provided at one end with the usual cross bar B which' is preferably removable from the eye A; The stem A is conveniently square in section throughout its length and the end is adapted to fit into a square hole or recess in a socket C where it can be fixed in a detachable manner by a set screw. 1); The socket C is formed integral with a member E which is a F formed respectively on the opposed faces of the membersE and F. At its outer end the member F has formed on it either a. squared projection K, as shown in Fi 2 or a-socket K as shown in Fig. 3 in which is a square hole K These parts are con- This joint com- V 70 free tobe bent about the joint and rotated structed to engage the rotatable member of member F. A coiled spring ilis arranged around the joint with one end abutting the hands while the stem is in engagement.

against the flange IE and the other against the flange F groove E in the flange E the spring can he 7 passed over the member E into position my threading the spring over the flange E by a screwing motion. The action of the spring L is to tend to maintain the members E and F in line while allowing fiexnre abont the joint. A further advantage of the spring is that its presence prevents the main part of the stem being pieced at such an extreme angle to the part which engages w th the jack as to render the joint liab le to injury. Again the presence of the spring tends to keep the cross bar B u out of accldental contact with the ground if it is released from with the jack. These parts are not present By forming an inciined.

v a rotatable portion of the when the stem is provided merely with the joint Without the spring.

.The detaiis of construction may be modiiied to meet requirements.

. What I claim as my invention ancl desire to secure by Letters Patent is in an operating handle for a lifting jack, the combination of a stern having a flange at one end a member'adapted to engage with jack and having a flange thereon a double pivot joint connecting the two flanged members, and a coiled compression spring disposed around said joint and having. its ends exerting a strong pressure against said flanges, whereby the joint is placed under tension and the stem and member are normally maintained in aiinenient, the diameters of the coils of the spring increasing from each end toward the center thereof, whereby the pivot joint clears the spring for and member,

In testimony whereof I have name to this specification.

LEWIS-HOEPCRAFT.

all angles of the stem signed my 

